Charlotte Carmichael Stopes, 1841-1929

Charlotte Stopes was born in Edinburgh, the daughter of Jas.F.Carmichael, a landscape painter. She was educated in Edinburgh and went to women's university classes (before Scottish universities opened to women in 1892). She took the highest certificates then possible, and a diploma in eight subjects including literature, philosophy and science, achieving a first class honours. She married in 1879 Henry Stopes, architect, civil engineer and anthropologist, and had two daughters, one of whom was Marie Stopes. After marriage, Charlotte travelled over Europe and up the Nile to the Cataracts. She then settled in Upper Norwood and founded a discussion society for ladies and a Shakespeare reading society. She also lectured in subjects relating to women and to Shakespeare. She received an Award of the British Academy for her 'Shakespeare's Industry' in 1916. In her early days she wrote some stories for Chambers's Juvenile Series, and later wrote many books and articles mostly related to Shakespeare.